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Joseph JA, Reinhardt A, Aguirre A, Chew PY, Russell KO, Espinosa JR, Garaizar A, Collepardo-Guevara R. Physics-driven coarse-grained model for biomolecular phase separation with near-quantitative accuracy. NATURE COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE 2021; 1:732-743. [PMID: 35795820 PMCID: PMC7612994 DOI: 10.1038/s43588-021-00155-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Various physics- and data-driven sequence-dependent protein coarse-grained models have been developed to study biomolecular phase separation and elucidate the dominant physicochemical driving forces. Here, we present Mpipi, a multiscale coarse-grained model that describes almost quantitatively the change in protein critical temperatures as a function of amino-acid sequence. The model is parameterised from both atomistic simulations and bioinformatics data and accounts for the dominant role of π-π and hybrid cation-π/π-π interactions and the much stronger attractive contacts established by arginines than lysines. We provide a comprehensive set of benchmarks for Mpipi and seven other residue-level coarse-grained models against experimental radii of gyration and quantitative in-vitro phase diagrams; Mpipi predictions agree well with experiment on both fronts. Moreover, it can account for protein-RNA interactions, correctly predicts the multiphase behaviour of a charge-matched poly-arginine/poly-lysine/RNA system, and recapitulates experimental LLPS trends for sequence mutations on FUS, DDX4 and LAF-1 proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerelle A. Joseph
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Aleks Reinhardt
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Anne Aguirre
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Pin Yu Chew
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Kieran O. Russell
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Jorge R. Espinosa
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Adiran Garaizar
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Rosana Collepardo-Guevara
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
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Sanchez-Burgos I, Joseph JA, Collepardo-Guevara R, Espinosa JR. Size conservation emerges spontaneously in biomolecular condensates formed by scaffolds and surfactant clients. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15241. [PMID: 34315935 PMCID: PMC8316449 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94309-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates are liquid-like membraneless compartments that contribute to the spatiotemporal organization of proteins, RNA, and other biomolecules inside cells. Some membraneless compartments, such as nucleoli, are dispersed as different condensates that do not grow beyond a certain size, or do not present coalescence over time. In this work, using a minimal protein model, we show that phase separation of binary mixtures of scaffolds and low-valency clients that can act as surfactants-i.e., that significantly reduce the droplet surface tension-can yield either a single drop or multiple droplets that conserve their sizes on long timescales (herein 'multidroplet size-conserved' scenario'), depending on the scaffold to client ratio. Our simulations demonstrate that protein connectivity and condensate surface tension regulate the balance between these two scenarios. The multidroplet size-conserved scenario spontaneously arises at increasing surfactant-to-scaffold concentrations, when the interfacial penalty for creating small liquid droplets is sufficiently reduced by the surfactant proteins that are preferentially located at the interface. In contrast, low surfactant-to-scaffold concentrations enable continuous growth and fusion of droplets without restrictions. Overall, our work proposes one thermodynamic mechanism to help rationalize how size-conserved coexisting condensates can persist inside cells-shedding light on the roles of protein connectivity, binding affinity, and droplet composition in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Sanchez-Burgos
- Maxwell Centre, Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Jerelle A Joseph
- Maxwell Centre, Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Rosana Collepardo-Guevara
- Maxwell Centre, Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Jorge R Espinosa
- Maxwell Centre, Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK.
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
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